PROGRAMME FOR PRISONERS UNDERGOING COMMUNITY REHAB IN ARMY CAMPS TO BE EXTENDED

PUTRAJAYA, May 26 (Bernama) -- After the success of a programme which saw prisoners undergoing community rehabilitation at the Mahkota army camp in Kluang, Johor, the Home Ministry is ready to set up a similar programme in Gemas, in southern state of Negeri Sembilan.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the programme in Gemas, to be opened by Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday, would involve 600 prisoners who would have completed their prison term soon.

"We are taking them out of the prison system and working within the confines of an army camp, we are giving them work, we are giving them the opportunities for the families to visit before they get parole or before they go out to the community.

"This is a process to acclimatize them so that they don't become repeat offenders," he told reporters at a post-cabinet meeting here Wednesday.

Hishammuddin said feedback received from such a programme was very
encouraging and that such a move would reduce crowding in prisons and help the government safe money by not having to build more prisons to accommodate light offenders.

"Under the 10th Malaysia Plan (RMK10) we are not building any new prison, so we saved the government about RM250 million (US$81.995 million), which is a lot of money that could be channeled to other things for the people," he said.

Hishammuddin said the initiative which is a joint effort between the Armed Forces and the Prisons Department would be expanded to other parts of the country.
-- BERNAMA